(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transaction assisting apparatus and a recording medium, and more particularly, to a transaction assisting apparatus for assisting transactions wherein sell/buy orders from a plurality of customers are displayed at display units and when a deal for a certain order is offered, an agent places an order for corresponding goods to thereby conduct the deal of goods, and to a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform such a transaction assisting process.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a variety of transaction assisting apparatus are used with a view to ensuring reliability and swiftness of transactions in goods etc.
FIG. 22 is a block diagram exemplifying a configuration of a transaction assisting system comprising a transaction assisting apparatus for assisting transactions in bonds, terminal units, etc.
In the figure, a transaction assisting apparatus 1 accepts and stores sell and buy orders etc. for bonds, which are input from a terminal unit 2 owned by an agent, performs a predetermined process on the orders, and makes the orders displayed at the terminal unit 2 as well as at display units 3-1 to 3-n installed at customers' side.
A telephone 4 installed at the agent's side is connected via a leased line (hot line) 6 to customers' telephones 5-1 to 5-n. 
Let it be assumed that, in this transaction assisting system, a customer A, for example, has requested, using the telephone 5-1, a sell order for bonds with the circular issue (a sort of serial number) “183” to the agent having the telephone 4.
On receiving the request, the agent operates the terminal unit 2 to input the sell order for “183”. The transaction assisting apparatus 1 detects the input of the sell order for the bonds “183”, stores the input sell order in a storage device therein, and displays the sell order at the agent's terminal unit 2 as well as at the display units 3-1 to 3-n. 
FIG. 23 shows an example of a screen displayed in this case at the terminal unit 2 and the display units 3-1 to 3-n. In the illustrated example, sell and buy orders for the bonds “183” are shown in list form. Also, in the screen shown in the figure, sell orders and buy orders are shown in left- and right-hand regions of the list, respectively. “ORDER NO.” is a number assigned so as to specify each sell or buy order, and “RATE” indicates the yield of the bond concerned. “AMOUNT” indicates an amount ordered, and “1 BILLION” means one billion yen. The display screen as shown in the figure is called board screen.
In the illustrated example, only one order is shown, but in cases where there are a plurality of orders, sell orders and buy orders are respectively shown in order of rate such that the order with the highest rate (hereinafter referred to as best rate) is listed at top.
If, looking at the display screen, a customer B, for example, puts in a buy order for “183” with the agent by using the telephone 5-2, the agent enters the requested buy order through the terminal unit 2. Consequently, the transaction assisting apparatus 1 performs a contracting process (process executed when a deal is to be closed) with respect to the sell order for “183”.
As a result, the deal for “183” is conducted, whereupon the transaction assisting apparatus 1 deletes the sell order for “183” from the storage device and also deletes the display item corresponding to the sell order for “183” from the display screens of the terminal unit 2 and the display units 3-1 to 3-n. If there are other sell orders remaining, display items corresponding thereto are appropriately rearranged according to rates.
The use of the aforementioned transaction assisting apparatus 1 permits reliable and speedy transactions.
In the dealing business, a so-called chain deal is conducted in which one purchases somebody else's goods on condition that he or she sells his/her own goods.
In the case of bonds, for example, chain deal is conducted in such a manner that one purchases somebody else's “200” bonds if a buy order is offered for his/her “183” bonds, or conversely, one sells his/her “183” bonds if a sell order for “200” bonds is offered by somebody else.
Let us consider the case where such chain deal is conducted with the use of the transaction assisting system shown in FIG. 22. If a customer puts in the chain order as mentioned above, for example, the agent enters a sell order for “183” through the terminal unit 2, whereupon the sell order for “183” is displayed at the terminal unit 2 and the display units 3-1 to 3-n. 
This chain order is a sell order premised on the presence of a chained order (in this example, “200”) on which the chain order chains, and accordingly, the agent must always make sure whether there is a sell order for “200”, which is a chained order, and must immediately suspend the sell order for “183” when there is no chained order present.
Thus, when such a chain order is accepted, it is necessary for the agent to always direct his or her attention to chained orders, making the work complicated.
Also, when a buy order is offered for the chain order “183”, a buy order for the chained order “200” must be placed immediately in a manner interlocked with such a buy order, which increases the burden imposed on the agent.
Further, in cases where chain orders are chained (for example, the above order for “200” also is a chain order which chains on “201”), the aforementioned operation needs to be repeatedly performed, which often makes it difficult to carry out the process reliably and speedily.
In the transactions in used cars, real estate, etc., so-called replacement deal is a customary practice wherein one purchases somebody else's goods or real estate on condition that a buy order is offered for his or her goods or real estate, or conversely, one sells his/her goods or real estate on condition that a sell order for goods or real estate is offered by somebody else. Problems similar to those described above also arise in this kind of transactions.
Further, in the case of transactions in used cars, real estate, etc., a person who has to pay taxes changes from one to another at the time when the ownership and thus the title are transferred. Accordingly, if the previous owner has paid taxes extra, it is necessary that the overpayment be refunded and also that the deficit be collected from the current owner, thus requiring complicated procedures.